Written by

If athletic director Mark Hollis has his way, the next big Michigan State basketball event will be centered around a tribute to the mentor he shares with Tom Izzo.

MSU is trying to put together a doubleheader to be played Dec. 7 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash., featuring the four programs that are tied to Jud Heathcote, Hollis said today. MSU would play Gonzaga in one of the games, and Montana and Washington State would play in the other.

Heathcote, an 85-year-old Spokane resident, hired Izzo as an assistant and Hollis as a student manager when he was MSU's head coach. He was formerly Montana's ...